Hybrid Coiled Tubing System

ABSTRACT

A hybrid coiled tubing system. The hybrid coiled tubing system may include composite coiled tubing, metallic coiled tubing, and a composite coiled tubing connector coupled to and joining the composite coiled tubing and the metallic coiled tubing.

BACKGROUND

Coiled tubing generally refers to continuous, small-diameter cylindricaltubing that is sufficiently flexible to be coiled onto a reel, for usein oil and gas service operations. Coiled tubing can be mounted on atruck or other support structure, such as a reel, for transporting to awork site. Coiled tubing may be used in a variety of oil and gas serviceoperations, such as well or pipeline servicing operations, includingdrilling, completion, stimulation, cleaning, workover, wellintervention, and other operations.

Coiled tubing may be used, for example, to inject or circulate gas orother fluids into the borehole or pipeline, to transport tools downhole(such as logging tools), to perform remedial cementing, clean-out, orcirculation operations in the bore, to deliver and operate drilling andmilling tools downhole, for electric wireline logging and perforating,fishing, setting and retrieving tools, for displacing fluids, and fortransmitting hydraulic power into the borehole. The flexible,lightweight nature of coiled tubing makes it particularly useful indeviated boreholes, flowlines, pipelines and risers.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Embodiments of the hybrid coiled tubing system are described withreference to the following figures. The same numbers are used throughoutthe figures to reference like features and components. The featuresdepicted in the figures are not necessarily shown to scale. Certainfeatures of the embodiments may be shown exaggerated in scale or insomewhat schematic form, and some details of elements may not be shownin the interest of clarity and conciseness.

FIG. 1 is a well system, according to one or more embodiments;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a hybrid coiled tubing system,according to one or more embodiments; and

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a hybrid coiled tubing system,according to one or more embodiments.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present disclosure provides a hybrid coiled tubing system. Thehybrid coiled tubing system includes composite coiled tubing and atleast one of metallic coiled tubing or piping. The hybrid coiled tubingsystem is used when performing servicing operations on wells, flowlines,pipelines, or risers. The combination of composite coiled tubing andeither metallic coiled tubing or piping allows for increased flexibilitywhen compared to fully a metallic coiled tubing system and an increasedload and torque rating when compared to a fully composite coiled tubingsystem.

A subterranean formation containing oil or gas hydrocarbons may bereferred to as a reservoir, in which a reservoir may be located on-shoreor off-shore. Reservoirs are typically located in the range of a fewhundred feet (shallow reservoirs) to tens of thousands of feet(ultra-deep reservoirs). To produce oil, gas, or other fluids from thereservoir, a well is drilled into a reservoir or adjacent to areservoir.

A well can include, without limitation, an oil, gas, or water productionwell, or an injection well. As used herein, a “well” includes at leastone borehole having a borehole wall. A borehole can include vertical,inclined, and horizontal portions, and it can be straight, curved, orbranched. As used herein, the term “borehole” includes any cased, andany uncased, open-hole portion of the borehole. Further, the term“uphole” refers a direction that is towards the surface of the well,while the term “downhole” refers a direction that is away from thesurface of the well.

As used herein, the term piping refers to tubular conduct that issupplied in short lengths (typically 40 feet or less). The term tubing,as used herein, refers to tubular conduit that is supplied in longlengths (typically more than 100 feet) and that is stored and deployedfrom a reel.

FIG. 1 is a well system 100, according to one or more embodiments. Theexemplary well system 100 is utilized to produce hydrocarbons fromborehole 102 extending through various earth strata in an oil and gasformation 104 located below the earth's surface 106. The borehole 102may be formed of a single or multiple bores extending into the formation104, and disposed in any orientation.

The well system 100 utilizes a hybrid coiled tubing system 108, asdescribed in more detail below, to conduct various drilling, production,and well intervention operations. The hybrid coiled tubing systemincludes composite coiled tubing and at least one of metallic coiledtubing or piping. The hybrid coiled tubing system 108 is stored on oneor more reels 110 positioned near a wellhead 112. A tube guide 114guides the coiled tubing of the hybrid coiled tubing system 108 into aninjector 116 supported on a frame assembly 118 and positioned above thewellhead 112. The tube guide 114 is used to feed and direct the coiledtubing of the hybrid coiled tubing system 108 into and out of theborehole 102. The injector 116 and the frame assembly 118 may besuspended by a conventional derrick (not shown), a support frame (notshown), or a crane 120.

The coiled tubing of the hybrid coiled tubing system 108 extends througha blowout preventer (BOP) stack 122 connected to the wellhead 112 forpressure control of the borehole 102. The BOP stack 112 may include oneor more BOPs. Positioned atop the BOP stack 122 is a lubricatormechanism or one or more stuffing boxes 124, which provides the primaryoperational seal about the outer diameter of the coiled tubing of thehybrid coiled tubing system 108 for the retention of any pressure thatmay be present at or near the surface of the borehole 102. Although aland-based well system 100 is depicted in FIG. 1, the hybrid coiledtubing system 108 can be deployed from floating rigs, jackups,platforms, subsea wellheads, or any other well location. Additionally,the hybrid coiled tubing system 108 can be deployed for use on apipeline.

A working or service fluid source 126, such as a storage tank or vessel,may supply a working fluid to the hybrid coiled tubing system 108. Inparticular, the fluid source 126 is in fluid communication with a fluidswivel 128 secured to reel 110 and in fluid communication with theinterior of hybrid coiled tubing system 108. The fluid source 126 maysupply any fluid utilized in well operations including, withoutlimitation, drilling fluid, cement slurry, acidizing fluid, liquidwater, steam, nitrogen, or some other type of fluid.

Various examples of fluids that may be provided by fluid source 126 andemployed in the drilling, production, and well intervention operationdescribed herein include air, water, oil, lubricant, friction reducer,natural gas, mist, foam, surfactant, nitrogen, various gases, drillingmud, acid, etc., or any combination thereof, which are flowed throughthe hybrid coiled tubing system 108 during a downhole operation.Moreover, the fluid source 126 may be in fluid communication with a pump(not shown) that pressurizes the working fluid at a select pressure,such as during high pressure pumping operation. The fluid source 126 maylikewise be in communication with other surface equipment, such asmixers, blenders and the like, utilized to prepare fluids for pumpingdownhole via the fluid source 126. In at least one embodiment, the fluidsource 126 and/or surface equipment may be adjustable in real timeresponsive to communications during various well operations.

The well system 100 may also include a power supply 130 and acommunications hub 132 for sending signals and/or power and otherwisecontrolling the well operations via electric and/or optic cable deployedwithin the hybrid coiled tubing system 108.

The well system 100 may include one or more casing strings 134 that maybe cemented in borehole 102, such as the surface, intermediate andproduction casings 134 shown in FIG. 1. An annulus 136 is formed betweenthe walls of sets of adjacent tubular components, such as concentriccasing strings 134 or the exterior of the hybrid coiled tubing system108 and the inside wall 138 of borehole 102 or the casing string 134, asthe case may be.

A bottom hole assembly (BHA) 140 may be suspended from the hybrid coiledtubing system 108. The well system 100 passes a fluid down the flowboreof the hybrid coiled tubing system 108 to the BHA 140. The return fluidwill then pass up the annulus 136 formed between the hybrid coiledtubing system 108 and the casing string 134, completion string, or theborehole wall 138 if uncased. Fluids may also be pumped down the annulus136 and return through the flow bore of the hybrid coiled tubing system108. Fluids, cuttings and other debris returning to surface 106 fromborehole 102 are directed by a flow line 142 to storage tanks 144 (orthe fluid source 126) and/or processing systems 146, such as shakers,centrifuges and the like.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a hybrid coiled tubing system 200,according to one or more embodiments. The hybrid coiled tubing system200 includes composite coiled tubing 202, a connector 204, a safetyvalve 206, and piping 208. In some embodiments, the piping 208 may bemetallic piping, such as steel piping. In other embodiments, the piping208 may be a composite, plastic, or other material suitable for use in apipeline or borehole. The composite coiled tubing 202 may be made ofglass fiber, carbon fiber, or other composite materials known to oneskilled in the art.

As shown in FIG. 2, the safety valve 206 may be positioned between theconnector 204 and the piping 208. In other embodiments, the safety valve206 may be positioned between the composite coiled tubing 202 and theconnector 204, or safety valves 206 may be positioned on both sides ofthe connector 204. Additionally, the connector 204 may be made up of oneor more components as necessary to transition between the compositecoiled tubing 202 and the safety valve 206.

In at least one embodiment, the connection between the connector 204 andthe composite coiled tubing 202 is a swaged connection, where thecomposite coiled tubing 202 is inserted into the connector 204. In otherembodiments, the connection between the connector 204 and the compositecoiled tubing may be a threaded connection. When using a threadedconnection, the male thread may be cut into either the composite coiledtubing 202 or the connector 204. Additionally, the connection betweenthe connector 204 and the safety valve 206 may be a threaded connection,a welded connection, or a flanged connection. Similarly the connectionbetween the safety valve 206 and the piping 208 may be a threadedconnection, a welded connection, or a flanged connection.

The safety valve 206 may be a sleeve valve, flapper valve, ball valve,or any other type of valve known to one skilled in the art that isactuated remotely from the surface via hydraulics, pneumatics, or anelectromechanical actuator to control flow between the composite coiledtubing 202 and the piping 208. In other embodiments, the safety valve206 may be actuated automatically once a preset pressure value isreached or if a specific fluid passes through the safety valve 206.

The composite coiled tubing system 200 may also include additionalvalves (not shown) positioned along composite coiled tubing 202 oppositethe connector 204 and/or positioned along the piping 208. In otherembodiments, the safety valve 206 may be omitted and the connector 204is directly coupled to both the composite coiled tubing 202 and thepiping 208. In such embodiments, the connector 204 and the piping 208are connected via welding, a threaded connection, or a flangedconnection. Additionally, some embodiments may include additionalconnectors (not shown) that connect the composite coiled tubing 202 toan additional section of tubing or piping (not shown), or that connectthe piping 208 to an additional section of tubing or piping (not shown).

As discussed above, the composite coiled tubing system 200 may bespoolable on a reel, as shown in FIG. 1. Such a configuration allows thecomposite coiled tubing system 200 to be made up offsite and transportedto a job site for use. In other embodiments, the piping, safety valve,and/or connector are not spoolable and the composite coiled tubingsystem 200 must be made up at a job site.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a hybrid coiled tubing system 300,according to one or more embodiments. The hybrid coiled tubing system300 includes composite coiled tubing 302, a connector 304, a safetyvalve 306, and metallic coiled tubing 308. Similar to the compositecoiled tubing system 200 discussed above, the composite coiled tubing302 may be made of glass fiber, carbon fiber, or other compositematerials known to one skilled in the art. The metallic coiled tubing308 may be made of steel or another metal suitable for use in a pipelineor borehole.

As shown in FIG. 3, the safety valve 306 may be positioned between theconnector 304 and the metallic coiled tubing 308. In other embodiments,the safety valve 306 may be positioned between the composite coiledtubing 302 and the connector 304, or safety valves 306 may be positionedon both sides of the connector 304. Additionally, the connector 304 maybe made up of one or more components as necessary to transition betweenthe composite coiled tubing 302 and the safety valve 306. Theconnections between the composite coiled tubing 302, connector 304, andsafety valve 306 are similar to those described above with reference toFIG. 2. However, the connection between the safety valve 308 and themetallic coiled tubing may be a swaged, threaded, welded, or flangedconnection.

As discussed above, the safety valve 306 may be a sleeve valve, flappervalve, ball valve, or any other type of valve known to one skilled inthe art that is actuated remotely from the surface to control flowbetween the composite coiled tubing 302 and the piping 308. In otherembodiments, the safety valve 306 may be actuated automatically once apreset pressure value is reached or if a specific fluid passes throughthe safety valve 306.

The composite coiled tubing system 300 may also include additionalvalves (not shown) positioned along composite coiled tubing 302 oppositethe connector 304 and/or positioned along the metallic coiled tubing308. In other embodiments, the safety valve 306 may be omitted and theconnector is directly coupled to both the composite coiled tubing 302and the metallic coiled tubing 308. In such embodiments, the connector304 and the piping 208 metallic coiled tubing are connected via welding,a swaged connection, a threaded connection, or a flanged connection.Additionally, some embodiments may include additional connectors (notshown) that connect the composite coiled tubing 302 to an additionalsection of tubing or piping (not shown), or that connect the metalliccoiled tubing 308 to an additional section of tubing or piping (notshown).

Similar to the composite coiled tubing system 200 described above, thecomposite coiled tubing system 300 may be spoolable on a reel. In otherembodiments, the piping, safety valve, and/or connector are notspoolable and the composite coiled tubing system 300 must be made up atthe job site.

Further examples include:

Example 1 is a hybrid coiled tubing system that includes compositecoiled tubing, metallic coiled tubing, and a composite coiled tubingconnector coupled to and joining the composite coiled tubing and themetallic coiled tubing.

In Example 2, the embodiments of any preceding paragraph or combinationthereof further include wherein a valve is coupled to and positionedbetween the composite coiled tubing connector and the metallic coiledtubing to control flow between the composite coiled tubing and themetallic coiled tubing.

In Example 3, the embodiments of any preceding paragraph or combinationthereof further include wherein a valve is coupled to and positionedbetween the composite coiled tubing connector and the composite coiledtubing to control flow between the composite coiled tubing and themetallic coiled tubing.

In Example 4, the embodiments of any preceding paragraph or combinationthereof further include at least one of piping, composite coiled tubing,or metallic coiled tubing that is joined to the composite coiled tubingvia a second connector.

In Example 5, the embodiments of any preceding paragraph or combinationthereof further include at least one of piping, composite coiled tubing,or metallic coiled tubing that is joined to the metallic coiled tubingvia a second connector.

In Example 6, the embodiments of any preceding paragraph or combinationthereof further include wherein the piping is composite piping.

In Example 7, the embodiments of any preceding paragraph or combinationthereof further include wherein the piping is steel piping.

Example 8 is a hybrid coiled tubing system that includes compositecoiled tubing, piping, and a composite coiled tubing connector coupledto and joining the composite coiled tubing and the piping.

In Example 9, the embodiments of any preceding paragraph or combinationthereof further include wherein a valve is coupled to and positionedbetween the connector and the composite coiled tubing to control flowbetween the composite coiled tubing and the piping.

In Example 10, the embodiments of any preceding paragraph or combinationthereof further include wherein a valve is coupled to and positionedbetween the connector and the piping to control flow between thecomposite coiled tubing and the piping.

In Example 11, the embodiments of any preceding paragraph or combinationthereof further include wherein the piping includes composite piping.

In Example 12, the embodiments of any preceding paragraph or combinationthereof further include wherein the piping includes steel piping.

In Example 13, the embodiments of any preceding paragraph or combinationthereof further include at least one of piping, composite coiled tubing,or metallic coiled tubing that is joined to the composite coiled tubingvia a second connector.

In Example 14, the embodiments of any preceding paragraph or combinationthereof further include at least one of piping, composite coiled tubing,or metallic coiled tubing that is joined to the piping via a secondconnector.

Example 15 is a method of performing borehole servicing operations at ajob site. The method includes running a tool string including a hybridcoiled tubing system into a borehole, the hybrid coiled tubing systemincluding composite coiled tubing, either piping or metallic coiledtubing, and a coiled tubing connector coupled to and joining thecomposite piping and the at least one of the piping and the metalliccoiled tubing. The method also includes performing servicing operationswithin the borehole.

In Example 16, the embodiments of any preceding paragraph or combinationthereof further include a valve is coupled to and positioned between theconnector and the composite coiled tubing to control flow between thecomposite coiled tubing and the at least one of the piping and themetallic coiled tubing.

In Example 17, the embodiments of any preceding paragraph or combinationthereof further include wherein a valve is coupled to and positionedbetween the connector and the piping or the metallic coiled tubing tocontrol flow between the composite coiled tubing and the at least one ofthe piping and the metallic coiled tubing.

In Example 18, the embodiments of any preceding paragraph or combinationthereof further include wherein running the tool string comprising thehybrid coiled tubing system into the borehole comprises unspooling thehybrid coiled tubing system from a reel.

In Example 19, the embodiments of any preceding paragraph or combinationthereof further include wherein running the tool string comprising thehybrid coiled tubing system into the borehole comprises connecting thecomposite coiled tubing to the piping or the metallic coiled tubing viaa connector to make up the hybrid coiled tubing system at the job site.

In Example 20, the embodiments of any preceding paragraph or combinationthereof further include wherein performing the servicing operationswithin the borehole comprises removing blockages and restrictions fromwithin the borehole.

Certain terms are used throughout the description and claims to refer toparticular features or components. As one skilled in the art willappreciate, different persons may refer to the same feature or componentby different names. This document does not intend to distinguish betweencomponents or features that differ in name but not function.

Reference throughout this specification to “one embodiment,” “anembodiment,” “embodiments,” “some embodiments,” “certain embodiments,”or similar language means that a particular feature, structure, orcharacteristic described in connector with the embodiment may beincluded in at least one embodiment of the present disclosure. Thus,these phrases or similar language throughout this specification may, butdo not necessarily, all refer to the same embodiment.

The embodiments disclosed should not be interpreted, or otherwise used,as limiting the scope of the disclosure, including the claims. It is tobe fully recognized that the different teachings of the embodimentsdiscussed may be employed separately or in any suitable combination toproduce desired results. In addition, one skilled in the art willunderstand that the description has broad application, and thediscussion of any embodiment is meant only to be exemplary of thatembodiment, and not intended to suggest that the scope of thedisclosure, including the claims, is limited to that embodiment.

What is claimed is:
 1. A hybrid coiled tubing system comprising:composite coiled tubing; metallic coiled tubing; and a composite coiledtubing connector coupled to and joining the composite coiled tubing andthe metallic coiled tubing.
 2. The hybrid coiled tubing system of claim1, wherein a valve is coupled to and positioned between the compositecoiled tubing connector and the metallic coiled tubing to control flowbetween the composite coiled tubing and the metallic coiled tubing. 3.The hybrid coiled tubing system of claim 1, wherein a valve is coupledto and positioned between the composite coiled tubing connector and thecomposite coiled tubing to control flow between the composite coiledtubing and the metallic coiled tubing.
 4. The hybrid coiled tubingsystem of claim 1, further comprising at least one of piping, compositecoiled tubing, or metallic coiled tubing that is joined to the compositecoiled tubing via a second connector.
 5. The hybrid coiled tubing systemof claim 1, further comprising at least one of piping, composite coiledtubing, or metallic coiled tubing that is joined to the metallic coiledtubing via a second connector.
 6. The hybrid coiled tubing system ofclaim 5, wherein the piping is composite piping.
 7. The hybrid coiledtubing system of claim 5, wherein the piping is steel piping.
 8. Ahybrid coiled tubing system comprising: composite coiled tubing; piping;and a composite coiled tubing connector coupled to and joining thecomposite coiled tubing and the piping.
 9. The hybrid coiled tubingsystem of claim 8, wherein a valve is coupled to and positioned betweenthe connector and the composite coiled tubing to control flow betweenthe composite coiled tubing and the piping.
 10. The hybrid coiled tubingsystem of claim 8, wherein a valve is coupled to and positioned betweenthe connector and the piping to control flow between the compositecoiled tubing and the piping.
 11. The hybrid coiled tubing system ofclaim 8, wherein the piping comprises composite piping.
 12. The hybridcoiled tubing system of claim 8, wherein the piping comprises steelpiping.
 13. The hybrid coiled tubing system of claim 8, furthercomprising at least one of piping, composite coiled tubing, or metalliccoiled tubing that is joined to the composite coiled tubing via a secondconnector.
 14. The hybrid coiled tubing system of claim 8, furthercomprising at least one of piping, composite coiled tubing, or metalliccoiled tubing that is joined to the piping via a second connector.
 15. Amethod of performing borehole servicing operations at a job site, themethod comprising: running a tool string comprising a hybrid coiledtubing system into a borehole, the hybrid coiled tubing systemcomprising composite coiled tubing, either piping or metallic coiledtubing, and a composite coiled tubing connector coupled to and joiningthe composite piping and the at least one of the piping and the metalliccoiled tubing; and performing servicing operations within the borehole.16. The method of claim 15, wherein a valve is coupled to and positionedbetween the connector and the composite coiled tubing to control flowbetween the composite coiled tubing and the at least one of the pipingand the metallic coiled tubing.
 17. The method of claim 15, wherein avalve is coupled to and positioned between the connector and the pipingor the metallic coiled tubing to control flow between the compositecoiled tubing and the at least one of the piping and the metallic coiledtubing.
 18. The method of claim 15, wherein running the tool stringcomprising the hybrid coiled tubing system into the borehole comprisesunspooling the hybrid coiled tubing system from a reel.
 19. The methodof claim 15, wherein running the tool string comprising the hybridcoiled tubing system into the borehole comprises connecting thecomposite coiled tubing to the piping or the metallic coiled tubing viaa connector to make up the hybrid coiled tubing system at the job site.20. The method of claim 15, wherein performing the servicing operationswithin the borehole comprises removing blockages and restrictions fromwithin the borehole.